U.S. patent number 4,803,463 [Application Number 06/942,920] was granted by the patent office on 1989-02-07 for key input means with changeable display means for displaying key functions.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Canon Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Ichiro Sado.
United States Patent |
4,803,463 |
Sado |
February 7, 1989 |
Key input means with changeable display means for displaying key
functions
Abstract
An input device comprises key input means having a plurality of
keys, specifying means for specifying functions of the plurality of
keys of the key input means and display means for displaying key
denominations representing the key functions specified by the
specifying means. The key input means includes a transparent
keyboard arranged on the display means.
Inventors: |
Sado; Ichiro (Yokohama,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo,
JP)
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Family
ID: |
15767102 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/942,920 |
Filed: |
December 17, 1986 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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532145 |
Sep 14, 1983 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 21, 1982 [JP] |
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57-163096 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
341/23; 345/169;
345/211; 708/144 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
3/02 (20130101); H01H 13/702 (20130101); H01H
2219/012 (20130101); H01H 2239/05 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01H
13/702 (20060101); G06F 3/02 (20060101); G06F
3/033 (20060101); H01H 13/70 (20060101); G06F
003/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;340/711,712,365VL,365S,365R,365C,716 ;364/189,709,706,900
;200/314 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Orsino; Joseph A.
Assistant Examiner: Swarthout; Brent A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper &
Scinto
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 532,145,
filed Sept. 14, 1983, now abandoned.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
a plurality of first key means for designating power ON of a power
source;
a plurality of second key means for inputting data;
display means responsive to the operation of said first key means
for displaying a definition of each key of said first key means and
said second key means on each key of said first and second key
means; and
control means for controlling said display means to display on one
of said first key means that said one is a key for designating
power OFF of the power source.
2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising
calculation means for effecting calculation in accordance with
input data defined by said first key means and said second key
means and second display means for displaying a result of the
calculation by said calculation means.
3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first
key means includes a key for designating a definition of each key
of said second key means.
4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said
display means is a liquid crystal display.
5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first
key means and said second key means are transparent keyboards,
respectively.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device which displays a
key denomination representing a key function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art device, denominations of key switches of a
keyboard are indicated by engraving or sheets bearing the
denominations. In such a device, the denominations of the key
switches are fixed and the alternation of the denominations are
very difficult. The denominations are always indicated and a
special arrangement such as an illumination type key switch is
required to indicate a key permitted for entry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an input device
having means for specifying a key function and display means for
displaying a denomination of the key specified by the specifying
means.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an input
device comprising key input means having a plurality of keys,
specifying means for specifying functions of the plurality of keys
of the key input means, and display means for displaying
denominations representing the key functions specified by the
specifying means.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an
input device comprising key input means having a plurality of keys,
memory means containing a plurality of key denominations
representing functions of the plurality of keys of the key input
means, specifying means for specifying functions of the plurality
of keys of the key input means, control means for selecting the key
functions specified by the specifying means and reading out key
denominations representing the key function from the memory means,
and display means for displaying the key denominations representing
the key functions read from the memory means.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an input
device comprising key input means having a plurality of keys,
specifying means for specifying functions of the plurality of keys
by depressing one of the plurality of keys of the key input means,
and display means provided one for each of the plurality of keys
for displaying key denominations representing the key functions
specified by the specifying means for the respective ones of the
plurality of keys of the key input means.
The other objects of the present invention will be apparent from
the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows key switches used to specify key functions in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 2 shows specifying means for input keys in accordance with the
present embodiment,
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a construction of a keyboard
unit,
FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the present embodiment,
FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of a control operation of a control
unit,
FIG. 6A shows specifying means for input keys in accordance with
other embodiment,
FIGS. 6B and 6C show key switches used to specify key functions in
accordance with the other embodiment, and
FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of a control operation when an input key
is specified by the specifying means.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 and 2 show key switches of a desk-top calculator to which
the present invention is applied. A display 2 is a segment type or
dot matrix type display for displaying input data or an operation
result. A key switch unit 3 comprises a transparent keyboard
arranged on the dot matrix display 2 for displaying the input data.
Before a function of the desk-top calculator is specified, only
ON/OFF key 4 of the key switch unit 3 is displayed as "ON" and
denominations of other keys are not displayed. When the "ON" key 4
is depressed, the key functions of the desk-top calculator are
specified and the key denominations representing the key functions
are displayed.
For example, the key switch denominations are displayed as shown in
FIG. 1 and the key switches having their denominations displayed
are allowed for entry.
A detailed structure of the key switch unit is shown in FIG. 3, in
which B denotes a liquid crystal display which comprises an upper
glass 14 having a transparent electrode pattern x (not shown)
formed thereon, a lower glass 15 having a transparent electrode
pattern y (not shown) formed thereon, an upper polarization plate
16 and a reflecting plate 17 with a polarization plate. A liquid
crystal is interposed between the upper glass plate 14 and the
lower glass plate 15 to form a reflection type liquid crystal
display. A denotes a transparent keyboard. Transparent electrodes
x.sub.1 -x.sub.4 are arranged on an upper transparent film 11 to
allow key entry. Numeral 12 denotes a lower transparent film having
transparent electrodes y.sub.1 -y.sub.5 arranged thereon to allow
key entry. Numeral 13 denotes a spacer for defining a small spacing
between the upper transparent film 11 and the lower transparent
film 12. The upper transparent film 11 and the lower transparent
film 12 are bonded to the spacer 13 to form the transparent
keyboard A. The keyboard A and the liquid crystal display B are
bonded in union on the lower surface of the lower transparent film
12 and the upper surface of the upper polarization plate 16.
In the key switch unit, the key denominations representing the key
functions are displayed on the liquid crystal display B, and an
operator depresses a desired key switch of the transparent keyboard
A while watching the display to enter key data.
The denominations may be displayed on a CRT instead of the keyboard
unit and the data may be entered by a light pen instead of keys
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the input device of the present
embodiment. Numeral 20 denotes a microprocessor (CPU) which
performs arithmetic and logical operations, numeral 50 denotes a
control memory in a form of a read-only memory (ROM) which stores
control procedures for the CPU 20. The ROM 50 also stores the key
denominations to be displayed on the liquid crystal display B.
Numeral 60 denotes a random access memory (RAM) to temporarily
store various data. F/F 21 denotes a flip-flop which is initially
reset by a reset signal 32 from the CPU 20 and it is thereafter
repeatedly set and reset by the depression of the ON/OFF key 4. An
output Q33 of the F/F 21 produces a logical "1" output when the F/F
21 is set and an output Q 34 produces a logical "1" output when the
F/F 21 is reset. G1 24-G3 26 denote gates which control input of
the key information of the key switches to the CPU 20 by input
enable signals 40-42 from the CPU 20, D1 35-D3 37 denote output
terminals which produce key denomination display enable signals for
displaying the key denominations of the key switches of the
keyboard 3 as shown in FIG. 1, and G4 27-G6 29 denote gates for
displaying the key denominations on the liquid crystal display 23
on the key unit 3 when the Q33 signal is "1" and the key
denomination display enable signal is present. D4 38 denotes an
output terminal which produces an "ON" display enable signal for
displaying "ON" on the ON/OFF key 4 as shown in FIG. 2. When the
Q34 signal is "1" a gate G7 30 is satisfied and the liquid crystal
display 23 displays "ON".
D5 39 denotes an output terminal which produces a display enable
signal for displaying an operation result on a display 2. When the
Q33 signal is "1", a gate G8 31 is satisfied and the display 2
displays the operation result. Numeral 43 denotes a signal line to
supply display information to the display 2, and numeral 44 denotes
a signal line to supply display information to the liquid crystal
display 23.
While the denominations of all of the key switches are displayed in
FIG. 1, the denominations of only desired key switches can be
displayed by controlling the D1 35-D3 37 signals by the CPU 20. The
operation of the CPU 20 is now explained with reference to a flow
chart of FIG. 5.
In a step S1, a power is turned on, the CPU 20 produces the reset
signal 32 and the F/F 21 is initially reset. In a step S2, the CPU
20 determines if the Q output of the F/F 21 is logical "1" or not.
If it is logical "1", the CPU 20 produces the display enable signal
at the output terminal D4, in a step S7, to display "ON" on the key
unit as shown in FIG. 2. Since the Q output of the F/F 21 is
logical "1" at this time, the display enable signal is supplied to
the liquid crystal display 23 through the gate G7. The CPU 20 reads
out the display data to display "ON" from the ROM 50 and the
display data is supplied to the liquid crystal display 23 through
the signal line 44. Thus, the key denomination "ON" is displayed on
the key unit as shown in FIG. 2.
If the ON/OFF key 4 is depressed in the step S2, the F/F 21 is set
and the Q output thereof assumes the logical "1". Thus, the CPU 20
determines that the Q output is not logical "1" and goes to the
next step. In a step S3, the CPU 20 produces the key denomination
display enable signal at the output terminal D4 to display the key
denomination "OFF" at the position of the key unit at which "ON"
has been displayed. Since the Q output of the F/F 21 is logical "1"
at this time, the key denomination display enable signal is
supplied to the liquid crystal display 23 through the gate G7. The
CPU 20 reads out the display data for the key denomination "OFF"
from the ROM 50 and the data is supplied to the liquid crystal
display 23. Thus, the key denomination "OFF" is displayed on the
key unit as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 shows another embodiment in which not only the ON/OFF key 4
but also an SM key 5 and an RM key 6 are displayed as the key
function specifying keys so that the key switch denominations are
selectively displayed as the respective keys are depressed. A
control flow chart therefore is shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 6A shows the
key denominations displayed on the key switch unit 3 before the key
functions of the desk-top calculator are specified. FIG. 6B shows
the key denominations displayed on the key switch unit 3 when the
SM key 5 is depressed as the key function specifying key, and FIG.
6C shows the key denominations displayed on the key switch unit 3
when the RM key 6 is depressed as the key function specifying key.
The key denominations displayed on the key switch unit 3 when the
ON/OFF key 4 is depressed are shown in FIG. 1. In the present
embodiment, the ROM 50 shown in FIG. 4 stores the key denomination
display pattern A as shown in FIG. 1, a key denomination display
pattern B as shown in FIG. 6B and a key denomination display
pattern C as shown in FIG. 6C.
Under this condition, when an operator depresses the key switch 4,
the CPU 20 determines in a step S11 that the depressed key is the
"ON" key and selects, in a step S15, the key denomination display
pattern A stored in the RAM 50, and the CPU 20 carries out the same
operation as shown in FIG. 5 so that the key denomination is
displayed as shown in FIG. 1. If the operator depresses the key
switch 5, the CPU 20 determines in a step S12 that the depressed
key is the SM key and selects, in a step S16, the key denomination
display pattern B stored in the ROM 50 and the CPU 20 thereafter
carries out the same operation as shown in FIG. 5 so that the key
denominations shown in FIG. 6B are displayed. If the operator
depresses the key switch 6, the CPU 20 determines in a step S13
that the depressed key switch is the RM key and selects, in a step
S14, the key denomination display pattern C stored in the ROM 50
and the CPU 20 thereafter carries out the same operation as shown
in FIG. 5 so that the key denominations shown in FIG. 6C are
displayed.
As described hereinabove, in accordance with the present invention,
the key denominations for the key functions specified by the
specifying means are displayed so that the key denominations are
displayed with optimum arrangement and combination to the intended
input system. As a result, the keyboard can be used as if it were
designed for a special purpose with a small number of keys, and the
possibility of misentry is reduced and an improved input teaching
function is attained with a simple construction.
* * * * *